Shui Bing'er!

Meanwhile.

At the edge of the Far North lay a desolate ice valley blanketed in snow.

At that moment, a brutal battle was raging inside the valley.

A series of piercing howls rang through the sky.

A gigantic thousand-year-old Soul-Eater Python thrashed about.

Its massive body, covered in black scales, writhed frantically across the snow, each struggle sending snow flying everywhere.

But the Soul-Eater Python was already at the end of its rope.

Its body was covered in crisscrossing wounds, some deep enough to expose bone. Dark green blood had stained great swathes of snow.

Its enormous, unsteady head thrashed about as it desperately flicked its tongue, making one final, dying struggle.

Two clearly distinct groups surrounded the Soul-Eater Python.

At the back of the outer perimeter stood a group of fierce-looking mercenaries wielding heavy weapons.

Most had scarred faces, and a thick stench of blood clung to them. Their eyes kept darting toward the group ahead.

In the heart of the battle, closer to the front, stood a group of young women dressed in matching uniforms.

They were the teachers and students of Skywater Academy, out on a training expedition.

At the very front of the group, a girl of about fourteen stood out in particular.

Her short, water-blue hair danced in the wind.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, and her fair skin was flushed with a rosy hue.

Though still young, her snug battle suit could barely conceal her already shapely figure. She radiated a pure, adorable charm.

She was Shui Bing'er.

Their teacher and leader, Shui Lanxin, stood not far away.

She wore a fitted blue dress, her ample bosom practically straining to burst through the fabric, its curves outlining a perfect S-shape.

Below the hem, her long, shapely legs were wrapped in snug blue fabric. From head to toe, she radiated the deadly allure of a mature beauty that set hearts pounding.

Shui Lanxin watched the battlefield closely, her voice clear and sweet.

"Bing'er."

"It's almost finished. Quickly, deliver the killing blow!"

Shui Bing'er gave a soft cry, her steps turning light and nimble.

She leapt into the air and swiftly formed a seal with both hands.

An icy spike took shape in an instant, then shot through the air with a sharp whistle and pierced the Soul-Eater Python's head with pinpoint accuracy.

Bang!

The Soul-Eater Python's massive body crashed heavily to the ground, lifeless.

A purple Soul Ring slowly rose above the corpse.

Shui Bing'er had successfully obtained her fourth Soul Ring.

However, at that very moment, something unexpected happened.

As the Soul-Eater Python's corpse broke apart, a crystal-clear bone that glimmered with a faint purple light rolled out of its flesh and came to rest on the snow.

A Soul Bone had actually dropped!

Several mercenaries at the edge of the battlefield saw the bone, and their eyes instantly went wide.

Greedy, bloodshot veins spread across their eyes.

"Boss, look!"

"That's a Soul Bone, a thousand-year Soul Bone!"

A gaunt mercenary leaned close to the burly leader's ear, his voice trembling.

"If we take it to the black market, it'll fetch a fortune—enough for all of us to eat, drink, and live high on the hog for the rest of our lives!"

The other mercenaries drew their weapons as well, their eyes filled with greed.

"Boss, we should make a move!"

"Let's just take it!"

Some among the group seemed hesitant.

"But they're from Skywater Academy. Can we really afford to make enemies of them?"

The leader spat a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva onto the ground, his eyes blazing with menace.

"What are you afraid of?"

"In this frozen wasteland, as long as we kill them all, who'll know we did it?"

The leader's gaze slid past Shui Bing'er and roamed brazenly over Shui Lanxin's voluptuous figure.

"Besides."

"I've had my eye on that busty teacher for ages!"

"Once this is over, we'll let the boys have some fun!"

The mercenaries whispered among themselves, but their undisguised malice spread through the air like something tangible.

They formed a loose semicircle and slowly closed in on the Skywater Academy group.

Shui Lanxin had led groups in the field for years and was extremely experienced in battle.

She sensed the naked greed and murderous intent behind her almost instantly.

Shui Lanxin turned around, her long, wavy hair fluttering in the wind.

She shielded Shui Bing'er behind her, her brows knit and her beautiful face icy.

She planted her long legs apart, taking a defensive stance.

"What do you want?"

Shui Lanxin shouted, Soul Power surging violently within her.

Hearing her challenge, the mercenary leader let his bloodshot eyes roam shamelessly over Shui Lanxin's ample figure.

"What do we want?"

"We've been cooped up in this frozen wasteland for ages. What do you think we want?"

The leader licked his cracked lips, making no effort to hide the lewd look in his eyes.

The surrounding mercenaries burst into vulgar laughter at his words.

Shui Lanxin gritted her teeth, her stomach churning. She turned her head and spat into the snow.

"Pah!"

"What a disgusting pack of scum!"

She forced herself to look calm, but inside, she was frantic.

To ensure this training expedition in the Far North went smoothly, Skywater Academy had set aside a hefty sum.

Every coin of it had gone toward hiring this mercenary group, which had long operated around the outskirts of the Far North.

They had hoped the mercenaries would use their experience to scout ahead and keep watch, sparing them unnecessary trouble.

Who could have guessed that the men would take the money and do nothing? At heart, they were a bunch of shameless scoundrels, ready to turn on them for a bit of treasure.

The mercenary leader's face darkened at Shui Lanxin's scolding.

He gripped the broad-bladed sword in his hand, its edge stained with blood, and slammed it against the ground.

"Bitch, don't push your luck!"

"Hand over that thousand-year Soul Bone!"

"Then bring those little girls behind you and make sure we're satisfied!"

"If you boys make us happy, we might even spare your lives today and save you a bit of pain!"

Shui Lanxin trembled with rage, her long, wavy hair whipping wildly in the cold wind.

"Not a chance!"

"Skywater Academy will never bow to the likes of you!"

The leader's eyes blazed with menace, his patience exhausted.

"You had your chance, but you chose the hard way!"

"Brothers, get them!"

The moment he finished speaking, more than a dozen mercenaries released their Soul Power. Soul Rings of every color lit up the desolate ice valley.

They brandished their weapons and charged the Skywater Academy group like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.

Shui Lanxin cried out, and six Soul Rings rose beneath her feet.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black lights shone in turn as she met the mercenary charging at the front and struck him with a fierce palm.

The Skywater Academy students released their Martial Souls as well, and all kinds of water- and ice-type Soul Skills bloomed across the snow.

Skywater Academy's Soul Skills were refined, but the students had just fought a hard battle to bring down the thousand-year Soul-Eater Python. They had already used up most of their Soul Power.

By contrast, the mercenaries had been watching from the sidelines the whole time and were now at full strength.

On top of that, they outnumbered the students, and every strike was vicious and deadly. They were clearly out for blood.

After only a few brief exchanges, the Skywater Academy group's defenses began to collapse completely.